Operation Last Chance

On Tuesday, May 17, 50 persons who were wanted on family court bench warrants that were issued after the persons did not make a combined total of $435,467 in court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County turned themselves in during Operation Last Chance. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and Lexington County Clerk of Court’s Office conducted the child support enforcement effort at the Marc H. Westbrook Lexington County Judicial Center.
Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts and Lexington County Clerk of Court Beth Carrigg implemented Operation Last Chance in order to give persons one final opportunity to amicably resolve family court bench warrants that were issued for their arrests after the persons did not make court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County.
A total of 53 family court bench warrants were resolved as a result of Operation Last Chance, Metts and Carrigg said.
Family court judges resolved 47 family court bench warrants by implementing payment plans for unpaid, court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County, Metts and Carrigg said. Judges ordered six habitual offenders who turned themselves in on family court bench warrants to be jailed at the Lexington County Detention Center. One of the six habitual offenders later made a child support payment and was released from the Detention Center on Tuesday.
“This was a very successful day because we helped many children in Lexington County,” Metts said. “The men and women of the Sheriff’s Department are dedicated to improving the quality of life for all people in Lexington County.”
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Fugitive investigators with the Sheriff’s Department Warrant Division will make every effort to arrest persons who did not participate in Operation Last Chance in order to resolve family court bench warrants that were issued for their arrests, Metts and Carrigg said.
“Sheriff Metts and I are more dedicated than ever in today’s tough economic times to obtain financial support for children and parents who have custody of children,” Carrigg said. “Dead-beat parents will not be tolerated in Lexington County, and we will use every legal means available to provide children and parents who have custody of children with the financial support that they deserve and need.”
So far this year, fugitive investigators have arrested more than 31 habitual offenders who have not made a combined total of more than $922,450 in unpaid, court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County, Metts said. So far this year, fugitive investigators have resolved a total of more than 200 family court bench warrants that were issued after persons did not make court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County.
In 2010, fugitive investigators arrested more than 80 habitual offenders who did not make a combined total of more than $2.2 million in court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County, Metts said.